By: Foday Manneh
The Gambia U-23 National team is out of the U23 AFCON qualifiers as they lost 2-1 at home to Burkina Faso today at the Grand Stade de Marrakech in Morocco with aggregate scores of 2-2.
Burkina Faso scored eight (8) minutes into the start of the game before scoring the double from a spot kick which the Gambia reacted quickly to pull one back, but it was deficit for the Scorpions in today’s encounter.
Highly rated Lamin Jarju started with Lamaran Jallow of Sporting CP who missed the first leg due to traveling issues. Jesper Ismaila Ceesay also made his first start for the Scorpions.
Despite being down with a goal in the early minutes, Abdou Jammeh’s boys controlled more of the possession in the first 45 minutes with few chances created playing wide in the middle of the pitch.
The second half showed the same energy to level the scores but no success. The Burkinabe were close to adding their lead from a free kick that hits the crossbar before finally getting the second goal from a penalty spot.
However, the Scorpions responded quickly from the opponent’s second goal to pull one back, showing the decisive scores at 2-1.
Despite the final aggregate reading 2-2, the CAF away goals rule has the two teams separated, and the Burkinabe goes through to the next round of the qualifiers, even though the Gambia won 1-0 away in the first leg.
